The start of a new season can often cause a lot of us to get carried away with new-in high street purchases, or distracted by refreshing our plain basics. I, however, seem to automatically switch a gear into luxury stealth mode the second the weather appears to change. That’s not to say I go splashing the cash on the latest ‘It’ buys; I just really try to use the start of a season as an opportunity to pause, and really think about what I want my hard-earned money to go on. Otherwise, before I know it, I will have spent more than I’d like to across the high street without really making any smart, long-term purchases. Plus, there’s something about the influx of catwalk and street style images during the February and September fashion months that make me dream of big, shiny, aspirational purchases—the kind of luxury shopping picks that stay on your mind for months, last in your wardrobe for decades and hold their allure for just as long.
It may seem like a peculiar time to consider premium purchases—the start of the year can be tough to budget for with so much ahead, not to mention the fact that bills don’t seem to be getting any more affordable. But it’s at pinch-point times like these that it’s more important than ever to evaluate the long-term value and use of anything you’re going to slap some cash down for—whether it’s £35 or £3.5K (should you be so lucky). This is certainly a moment when it doesn’t pay to buy endless amounts of trend-hitting items that provide only one season’s wear, or to impulse-snag something cheaply just because you “don’t have anything to wear” on a Friday night. We’re all guilty of staring into our packed-out closets like they’re an empty abyss, but there’s always something you can restyle—I guarantee it.
However, if your collection is missing a classic investment item or two, this is where my luxury shopping edit will come in. Nothing here is a fad; instead, you’ll find a list of time-honoured evergreen items such as a Burberry Coat or a leather Loewe bag. Anything that does speak more to the current moment has the power to turn into a seasonless wonder or perhaps even a collector’s item in the future (see Alaïa’s embellished ballet flats)
Keep scrolling to see this month’s most special items that scream peak luxury…
Up next, the most popular designer handbags of all time.
